I am currently rebuilding this website in stages; while I am doing this some links may not work temporarily. Please bear with me!

Some Current Ethical Issues:

Genome editing
Rapid developments in a set of techniques collectively known as genome or gene editing have the capacity to revolutionise the field of genetic modification. Genome editing has
emerged as a set of powerful scientific tools, which are potentially capable of achieving a range
of genetic modifications in plants, animals, micro-organims and even human embryos. In particular the relative ease precision, low cost and wide applicability of CRISPR-Cas9 techniques mean that many of the unfulfilled claims made in the 1990s about genetic modification and gene therapies might now be delivered, and new applications made possible - such as gene editing in food animal production, and 'gene drives' to re-programme the genetic development of an entire variety of living organisms.

But what are the ethical implications? Would it re-open the debate on genetic modification in food crops, and alter its current European perception of ethical and socialunacceptability? In our book Engineering Genesis (Earthscan, 1998) we were among the first to examine the potential of genetic modification and its ethical and social implications. We have also done long-term public engagement work using a Democs card game on the subject. More on genome editing in animals, crops and humans ...

NanomedicineThe scope of medicine is being widened by advances made in Nanotechnologies, the capability which scientists are developing to handle matter at ultra-small scales, right down to the level of atoms and molecules, like the constituents living cells. Nano-sized particleshave the potential
to show up where cancerous or diseased cells are, and to carry a drug to those affected cells a suitable pharmaceutic drug, with a lot less risk of side effects. It could be used to show the first signs of a disease long before physical symptoms are normally seen. But it also raises ethical and social questions, which need to be addressed alongside the technologies.

Edinethics is providing ethical support to medical researchers in the European Commission FP7 NanoAthero
project, which is using nanoparticles as the basis to develop clinical methods to detect, and hopefully treat, atherosclerosis, which is a major cause of heart attacks and strokes worldwide. In this project Edinethics created a Democs card game for small groups which you can download and play to explored the issues yourself.

Stem CellsShould we use embryonic stem cells to research therapies for degenerative diseases and treatments for serious injuries? Should we also use them to test future pharmaceutical drugs for toxicity instead of using animals? Do we even need to continue with embryonic stem cells if we
can use induced pluripotent cells (iPS) instead? Should we derive
sperm from stem cells? Explore some of these complex issues in our Stem Cells pages .

We have also created 2 Democs card games to help people explore the issues in small groups.

Animal Cloning:Should we apply the Dolly cloning technique for farm animals ... for food? ... for medical applications ...to preserve endangered species ...? See our article on Animal
Cloning and Ethics, based on our long experience on this issue.

Human Enhancement : Should humans be made stronger, smarter, longer-lived, etc....? For more, see our Human Enhancement pages. In the EC ETHENTECH Project Edinethics explored one of the most challenging issues of our times,
and we invite you to explore the issues yourself with the aid of two specially created tools : A Democs card game for small groups, and an OpenUp! argument map for individual
use.

Do you want to explore these issues for yourself? Edinethics has worked with Perry Walker, formerly of the New Economics Foundation, for many years, to create Democs card games to help people understand what these new areas of technology are about, and to think about their wider implications. See our pages on Democs
Card Games. Send off for a game or download it (it's free) and play it with your friends. On this website you can download games on

Synthetic Biology : a Democs game was created for Edinburgh University's Genomics Forum, but the website is now unavailable - we are trying to relocate this Democs Game on the Edinethics website. Download the report of the results Playing Games Democs to Explore Synthetic Biology

Edinethics Ltd is an independent consultancy set up in May 2007 to provide technically informed and balanced assessments of ethical and social issues in current and future technologies.

Edinethics offers a unique expertise in an extensive range of subjects in human and non-human biotechnology, nanotechnology, energy and environment. Its Managing Director, Dr Donald Bruce, is a recognised expert in many of these fields, and was formerly director of the Society, Religion and Technology Project SRT of the Church of Scotland from 1992-2007.

Edinethics seeks to be a respected voice in relevant areas of policy making, regulation and opinion forming, nationally, in Europe and the wider global context. This website not only tells you about our current work but we invite you to explore useful briefing material giving informed opinion and on a wide range issues, which we will be adding to this site.